Sunday 15 February 2015

Simple ways to tell if cosmetics ARE tested on animals

Since I wrote Living Cruelty Free I get asked all the time whether a certain company's products are tested on animals, so I thought it was time I wrote a bit about how to tell whether a make-up brand do test their products or ingredients on animals, either by doing it themselves or getting another company to do it on their behalf.

Of course, you can go to gocrueltyfree to check out if a company's listed or get the app for your phone (it's a free download from the Apple store for anyone lucky enough to have an iPad or iPhone) but sometimes you don't have time or a company that is cruelty free won't be accredited, because not all CF brands are.




Stars like Ricky Gervais and Spice Girl Mel C have made their opinions clear
NO TO ANIMAL TESTING.


Here's a quick lowdown -

1. If the brand's advertised on TV, it probably is tested on animals. This includes brands like Maybelline, L'Oreal and Max Factor.

2. If celebrities endorse it, it probably is tested on animals. Animal testing companies use beauty to hide the ugliness behind their products. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie may boast about their ethics, but show them the money and those ethics evaporate.

3. If a company boasts about 'a new formulation' or says things like 'amazing new' or this is the 'first product to contain a revolutionary ingredient' it probably is tested on animals.

4. They'll use a lot of fancy, scientific jargon that sounds impressive when they advertise. Talking about things like 'liptides,' 'skin elasticity,' 'non-comedogenic'and 'positive ergons.' Okay, I made the last one up, but then I supsect the cosmetics companies do too. They think, 'what can be bamboozle them with next to make them think this product is a must buy.'


5. They'll make wild boasts about their products that seem too good to be true. Things like 'this will reduce wrinkles by 50 percent' and 'reduces the appearances of fine lines.' 

First off, how can they back this up - by animal testing, that's what. And, secondly, claims that sound too good to be true usually are.

6.If it's made in China, it probably is tested on animals. Non-animal testing companies have been discovering that the Chinese factories where their products are made have been then testing their products so they can sell them under their own brands in China.
More commonly though, previously cruelty free companies are abandoning their ethics to sell in China. 


Remember - the only country that makes the animal testing of cosmetics compulsory is China, but the good news is they're working on their first ever animal free test. Companies who say they need to test their products are -

A. Lying

B. Being greedy and selling their products in China where they are required by law to test products on animals.

Tip - Being cruelty free helps sell a product, so if brands are they will boast about it.